20 Best Drama TV Shows on Paramount Plus 2026
The best drama TV shows on Paramount Plus in 2026: MobLand, Lioness, Landman, Friday Night Lights, Twin Peaks and more, ranked.
If you’re searching for a sharp, story-driven watchlist, this roundup of Paramount+ dramas is a strong place to start. The service has a wide mix of espionage, crime, sci-fi, and prestige storytelling, from Lioness and Landman to MobLand and The Agency: Central Intelligence. You’ll also find classics that still hold up, like Twin Peaks and The Twilight Zone, plus long-running favorites such as Criminal Minds and Battlestar Galactica. With 20 titles on this page, the picks cover modern hits, cult staples, and tense thrillers that keep the pace moving without losing character depth.
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01
MobLand
1 BAFTA TV Award nomination
crime · drama
Two mob families clash in a war that threatens to topple empires and lives.
Directed by Lawrence Gough, Guy Ritchie, Anthony Byrne, Daniel Syrkin, Zetna FuentesCast Paddy Considine, Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan, Joanne Froggatt, Lara PulverParamount PlusMore details on IMDb → -
02
Lioness
1 Emmy nomination
action · drama · thriller
Cruz Manuelos, a rough-around-the-edges but passionate young Marine, is recruited to join the CIA's Lioness Engagement Team to help bring down a terrorist organization from within. Joe, the station chief of the Lioness program, is tasked with training, managing and leading her female undercover operatives.
Directed by Michael Friedman, John Hillcoat, Stephen Kay, Anthony Byrne, Paul CameronCast Zoe Saldaña, Laysla De Oliveira, Dave Annable, Jill Wagner, LaMonica GarrettParamount PlusMore details on IMDb → -
03
Friday Night Lights
Won 3 Emmys Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (2011) · 13 nominations
drama · sport
The trials and triumphs of life in the small town of Dillon, Texas, where high school football is everything.
Directed by Jeffrey Reiner, Michael Waxman, Allison Liddi-Brown, Patrick R. Norris, David BoydCast Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Aimee Teegarden, Brad Leland, Taylor KitschAmazon Prime VideoParamount PlusMore details on IMDb → -
04
Colin from Accounts
1 BAFTA TV Award nomination
comedy · drama · romance
Ashley and Gordon are two single(ish), complex humans who are brought together by a car accident and an injured dog. Flawed, funny people choosing each other and being brave enough to show their true self, scars and all, as they navigate life together.
Directed by Trent O'Donnell, Madeleine Dyer, Matthew Moore, Robyn Butler, Wayne HopeCast Harriet Dyer, Patrick Brammall, Emma Harvie, Helen Thomson, Michael LogoParamount PlusMore details on IMDb → -
05
Twin Peaks
Won 2 Emmys 2x Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series · 18 nominations
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
The body of Laura Palmer is washed up on a beach near the small Washington state town of Twin Peaks. FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper is called in to investigate her strange demise only to uncover a web of mystery that ultimately leads him deep into the heart of the surrounding woodland and his very own soul.
Directed by David Lynch, Lesli Linka Glatter, Caleb Deschanel, Duwayne Dunham, Tim HunterCast Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Mädchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook, Richard BeymerParamount PlusMore details on IMDb →
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06
Landman
drama
Set in the proverbial boomtowns of West-Texas and a modern-day tale of fortune-seeking in the world of oil rigs, the series is an upstairs/downstairs story of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires that are fueling a boom so big it’s reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics.
Directed by Stephen Kay, Michael Friedman, Taylor SheridanCast Billy Bob Thornton, Ali Larter, Jacob Lofland, Michelle Randolph, Demi MooreParamount PlusMore details on IMDb → -
07
The Twilight Zone
Won 3 Emmys 8 nominations
drama · fantasy · horror · mystery · sci-fi · thriller
An anthology series containing drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, and/or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist.
Directed by John Brahm, Douglas Heyes, Buzz Kulik, Lamont Johnson, Richard L. BareCast Rod Serling, Robert McCord, Jay Overholts, James Turley, Vaughn TaylorParamount PlusMore details on IMDb → -
08
Battlestar Galactica
Won 3 Emmys 2x Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series · 19 nominations
action · adventure · drama · sci-fi
When an old enemy, the Cylons, resurface and obliterate the 12 colonies, the crew of the aged Galactica protect a small civilian fleet - the last of humanity - as they journey toward the fabled 13th colony, Earth.
Directed by Michael Rymer, Michael Nankin, Rod Hardy, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Robert M. YoungCast Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia HelferParamount PlusMore details on IMDb → -
09
Marshals
action · crime · drama · western
With the Yellowstone Ranch behind him, Kayce Dutton joins an elite unit of U.S. Marshals, combining his skills as a cowboy and Navy SEAL to bring range justice to Montana, where he and his teammates must balance family, duty and the high psychological cost that comes with serving as the last line of defense in the region's war on violence.
Directed by Christopher Chulack, Gonzalo Amat, John Erick Dowdle, Guy Ferland, Greg YaitanesCast Luke Grimes, Ash Santos, Tatanka Means, Logan Marshall-Green, Arielle KebbelParamount PlusMore details on IMDb → -
10
Dexter
Won 4 Emmys Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (2010) · 25 nominations
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police also leads a secret life as a serial killer, hunting down criminals who have slipped through the cracks of justice.
Directed by John Dahl, Steve Shill, Keith Gordon, Marcos Siega, Ernest DickersonCast Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas, James Remar, C.S. LeeParamount PlusMore details on IMDb → -
11
Criminal Minds
3 Emmy nominations
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
An elite team of FBI profilers analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. The Behavioral Analysis Unit's most experienced agent is David Rossi, a founding member of the BAU who returns to help the team solve new cases.
Directed by Glenn Kershaw, Félix Enríquez Alcalá, Rob Bailey, Edward Allen Bernero, Matthew Gray GublerCast Kirsten Vangsness, A.J. Cook, Matthew Gray Gubler, Joe Mantegna, Thomas GibsonAmazon Prime VideoHuluParamount PlusMore details on IMDb → -
12
Dexter: Resurrection
crime · drama · thriller
Dexter Morgan awakens from a coma to find Harrison gone without a trace. Realizing the weight of what he put his son through, Dexter sets out for New York City, determined to find him and make things right. But closure won't come easy. When Miami Metro's Angel Batista arrives with questions, Dexter realizes his past is catching up to him fast. As father and son navigate their own darkness in the city that never sleeps, they soon find themselves deeper than they ever imagined - and that the only way out is together.
Directed by Marcos Siega, Monica Raymund, Erica DuntonCast Michael C. Hall, Uma Thurman, James Remar, Jack Alcott, Kadia SarafAmazon Prime VideoParamount PlusMore details on IMDb → -
13
The Bureau
drama · thriller
Within the DGSE (General Directorate for External Security), a department called the Office Of Legends (BDL) forms and remote pilot the most important agents of the French intelligence services: Clandestine. Immersion in hostile country, their mission is to identify individuals who may be recruited as sources of information. Operating "under caption", that is to say in a fabricated identity from scratch, they live for many years in a permanent duplicity. Our hero just returned from a clandestine mission six years in Damascus. But contrary to what is required by safety rules, he does not abandon his legend and the identity under which he lived in Syria, thus putting in danger the whole system.
Directed by Eric Rochant, Samuel Collardey, Antoine Chevrollier, Anna Novion, Hélier CisterneCast Mathieu Kassovitz, Florence Loiret Caille, Jonathan Zaccaï, Sara Giraudeau, Jules SagotParamount PlusMore details on IMDb → -
14
The Agency: Central Intelligence
drama · thriller
Covert CIA agent Martian is ordered to abandon his undercover life and return to London Station. When the love he left behind unexpectedly reappears, their romance reignites, pitting his career, his real identity and his mission against his heart while hurling them both into a deadly game of international intrigue and espionage.
Directed by Neil Burger, Grant Heslov, Zetna Fuentes, Philip Martin, Joe WrightCast Michael Fassbender, Jeffrey Wright, Jodie Turner-Smith, Katherine Waterston, Harriet Sansom HarrisParamount PlusMore details on IMDb → -
15
Yellowjackets
10 Emmy nominations 2x Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
drama · mystery · thriller
This equal parts survival epic, psychological horror story and coming-of-age drama tells the saga of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to savage clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later.
Directed by Ben Semanoff, Eva Sørhaug, Daisy von Scherler Mayer, Jeffrey W. Byrd, Bart NickersonCast Melanie Lynskey, Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sophie Thatcher, Samantha HanrattyNetflixAmazon Prime VideoParamount PlusMore details on IMDb → -
16
Tracker
crime · drama
Lone-wolf survivalist Colter Shaw roams the country as a “reward seeker,” using his expert tracking skills to help private citizens and law enforcement solve all manner of mysteries while contending with his own fractured family.
Directed by Ken Olin, Joel Novoa, Aprill Winney, Jeff T. Thomas, Jon HuertasCast Justin Hartley, Fiona Rene, Abby McEnany, Eric Graise, Chris LeeHuluParamount PlusMore details on IMDb → -
17
Dutton Ranch
drama · western
Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler fight to survive on their cherished 7,000-acre ranch amid tough times and stiff competition, while ensuring young Carter becomes the man he's supposed to be.
Directed by Christina Alexandra Voros, Phil Abraham, Jessica Lowrey, Greg YaitanesCast Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Finn Little, Juan Pablo Raba, Jai CourtneyParamount PlusMore details on IMDb → -
18
The Curse
comedy · drama · thriller
An alleged curse disturbs the relationship of a newly married couple as they try to conceive a child while co-starring on their problematic new HGTV show.
Directed by Nathan Fielder, David Zellner, Nathan ZellnerCast Emma Stone, Nathan Fielder, Benny Safdie, Hikmah Warsame, Christopher D. CalderonParamount PlusMore details on IMDb → -
19
Freaks and Geeks
Won 1 Emmy 2x Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series · 3 nominations
comedy · drama
High school mathlete Lindsay Weir rebels and begins hanging out with a crowd of burnouts (the "freaks"), while her brother Sam Weir navigates a different part of the social universe with his nerdy friends (the "geeks").
Directed by Jake Kasdan, Judd Apatow, Bryan Gordon, Ken Kwapis, Lesli Linka GlatterCast Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, James Franco, Samm Levine, Seth RogenAmazon Prime VideoParamount PlusMore details on IMDb → -
20
The Good Wife
Won 5 Emmys 2x Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series · 43 nominations
crime · drama · mystery
Alicia Florrick boldly assumes full responsibility for her family and re-enters the workforce after her husband's very public sex and political corruption scandal lands him in jail.
Directed by Rosemary Rodriguez, Michael Zinberg, Brooke Kennedy, James Whitmore Jr., Félix Enríquez AlcaláCast Julianna Margulies, Matt Czuchry, Christine Baranski, Archie Panjabi, Alan CummingParamount PlusMore details on IMDb →
Wrapping Up
This collection is built for viewers who want more than filler episodes and easy background TV. Whether you prefer covert operations, small-town mystery, organized crime, or classic genre storytelling, these Paramount+ picks offer plenty of range and staying power. Bookmark this page if you want a quick way back to the strongest options, since it’s updated regularly as new series arrive and older favorites stay relevant. If you’re narrowing down what to stream next, this list makes it easier to find something worth committing to.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is this list updated?
We refresh this list regularly as titles are added or removed from streaming catalogs, so rankings and availability stay current.
Do I need a Paramount Plus subscription to watch these?
Yes — every title on this list is currently available on Paramount Plus. Availability can change, so we recommend checking the streaming link on each title before you start watching.
How are these drama shows ranked?
We rank by a combination of audience rating and current popularity, so you're seeing the drama titles people are actually watching right now, not just an old fixed list.